City’s early closure of park bathrooms puts unhoused Claremont residents at risk

Restrooms in Claremont public parks are supposed to be open until 10 p.m., when the parks close. But unhoused Claremont residents that Undercurrents spoke with said the city has been closing them up to an hour early, forcing unhoused residents to risk getting indecent exposure tickets if they are caught going outside.

Undercurrents reporters met one unhoused resident, who asked to remain unidentified to prevent retaliation, at Mallows Park on several nights over the past month. Reporters witnessed a staff member consistently closing the bathroom between 9:15 and 9:45 p.m., despite the city website stating that the park was open until 10 p.m.

The unhoused resident said that “there’s nowhere to go” other than the park bathrooms, and that getting caught going outside could be life-ruining.

“The public indecency ticket could ruin me. You would have to register as a sex offender, and that alone, in jail, is not good,” the unhoused resident said. “Plus you have to put that on any job application. It’s gonna ruin your life … just because you can’t use a restroom at 9:45, when the park’s open until 10 [p.m.]”

Replying to questions from Undercurrents, Claremont spokesperson Bevin Handel confirmed that park restrooms “are intended to stay open while the parks are open,” and confirmed that all parks other than Thompson Creek Trail and Claremont Hills Wilderness Park are supposed to be open until 10 p.m.

Handel said that the janitorial company contracted to close the parks starts closing the bathrooms at 9 p.m. if nobody is in the park when they get there. However, on multiple nights, Undercurrents reporters witnessed janitorial staff closing the restrooms even when people were present in the park and within their sight.

Handel said that the city had “just transitioned to a new janitorial company,” resulting in “a few instances” where they closed park restrooms earlier than the city allowed.

The unhoused resident said that, in the long term, they hope the bathrooms can be open 24 hours, but that they can be made to stay open until 10 p.m. as soon as possible.

“It’s like if a grocery store is open until midnight and you’re trying to go at 11 o’clock and they close early, it’s like, I needed food. You guys are supposed to be open,” the unhoused resident said. “It’s kind of like the same thing. I need to use the restroom. You’re supposed to be open.”